1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for providing transparent access to different types of communication networks that may be incompatible with each other and some of which may be incompatible; with the equipment used by the calling party or the called party, least cost routing in such a system, maintaining quality of communication in such a system, prioritizing the routing of such communications, evaluating different communication access locations to determine where to send a communication, synchronizing communications, blocking incoming communications while waiting for the synchronizing to be completed, and minimizing the cost of communications using such a system. This system also monitors and records the services used on each of the unrelated service providers. This information is then utilized for billing purposes and for paying the service providers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently when communication services are offered on a global basis, communications are established through the equipment of a plurality of service providers located in various countries. This communication is dominated by large carriers which have formed the global network through reciprocal agreements. Smaller competing carriers, who may offer the same service at lower prices, currently do not have reciprocal agreements between them.
The invention provides these smaller competing carriers with access to each other without the use of the large carriers. Such access provides the calling party (e.g., a subscriber of the smaller competing carrier) with the option of obtaining optimum service at lower prices while ensuring that the appropriate service providers get paid. The calling party can now have cheaper access to different types of telecommunication networks that the party may not have access to under the current large carrier system. It may be cheaper or preferred for the calling party to use smaller carriers to communicate with another location by routing the communication over a digital data network rather than an analog voice network, or by routing the communication over a paging network rather than a cellular network or a combination of networks.